The instant invention relates to the manufacture of box units which are suitable for use as sign posts or lamp standards. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus and a method of using the apparatus for constructing such box units.
Road sign supports and street light standards have been provided in a variety of forms. Perhaps the earliest form was the telephone-pole like support, or standard, which was formed from a single tree, turned down to an appropriate diameter. Alternately, steel or aluminum supports or standards have been used, which are usually bolted to rather massive concrete footings.
A serious problem with the previously mentioned forms of supports and standards is the effect of an impact by a motor vehicle on a solid standard. A vehicle, particularly a passenger vehicle, traveling at normal highway speeds, or even normal urban street speeds, will sustain substantial damage by impacting a telephone-pole type of support or standard, and particularly following impact with a metal support or the concrete footing therefore.
Although some metal standards have been provided with break-away features to lessen the damage to the vehicle and the occupants thereof following impact, such standards are quite expensive and, while they may not cause as much damage as a result of the impact, the standard may land on, or otherwise contact, the vehicle following the impact, thereby causing further damage.
Several systems and methods of forming box units are known. One such system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,753,902 to Klee and describes a system which utilizes plural clamp blocks which are arranged at the corners of the structure being formed. Klee, however, does not disclose any system or method for gluing plural units simultaneously.
Ferris, U.S. Pat. No. 1,162,759 discloses a gluing clamp which allows the gluing of multiple articles, but does not provide any component to define the corners of the structure being glued.
Sumner, U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,904 discloses an apparatus for laminating wooden strips through the use of an elastic, rather than a rigid beam. Additionally, Sumner does not disclose a system or method that will allow the simultaneous application of uniform force along horizontal and vertical axis.
An object of the instant invention is to provide an apparatus for and a system of assembling a box unit which will act as a sign support or lamp standard, and which will reduce the aforementioned problems. Another object of the instant invention is to provide a method and apparatus of applying pressure, equally along the length of assembled, multiple box units during a gluing process. Yet another object of the instant invention is to provide an apparatus and method of equally tensioning clamping elements disposed in a cluster during a gluing process. Another object of the instant invention is to provide tensioning means which have incremental tension gauges thereon. Still another object of the invention is to provide a clamping apparatus which is inexpensive and easy to manufacture and to provide a method of using the apparatus, which does not require a great deal of skill or time.